


Angels, Humans & Demons

by Enaa4



Category: Hataraku Maou-Sama! | The Devil Is a Part-Timer!
Genre: Awkward Romance, Demon/Human Relationships, Developing Friendships, Devil, Difficult Decisions, Drama, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Lovers, Fanfiction, Friendship/Love, I Mean Extra Rare Pairing, My First Work in This Fandom, Rare Pairings, Romance, Romantic Friendship, based on anime, my first english fanfiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-14 12:14:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 15,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28795221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enaa4/pseuds/Enaa4
Summary: Suzuno tries to understand her feelings, Urushihara understands even less, and Ashiya and Emi are pulled out of their comfort zones when they 'have to' nurse each other. Suzuno x Urushihara romance and Ashiya x Emi friendship-implied romance. Besides these, they (especially Emi, due to unexpected news) also struggle with the current situation - are they actually enemies or friends?
Relationships: Kamazuki Suzuno | Crestia Bell / Urushihara Hanzou | Lucifer, Yusa Emi | Emilia Justina / Ashiya Shirou | Alsiel
Comments: 21
Kudos: 8





	1. Part One - The Inquisitor Experiences a Strange Feeling

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first English fanfic I publish, so please review after you read it :) 
> 
> The story is based on only the anime. I didn't take any of the events of the manga into consideration, so my story takes place some time after the fight with Sariel. I used the English translations for the names they call each other.
> 
> In this chapter, Urushihara does something unusual and Suzuno experiences something unusual - so she asks Chiho and Emi for help. I hope you'll enjoy! :)
> 
> I don't own Hataraku Maou-sama!/The Devil Is a Part-Timer. I wrote this fanfic because I love the anime and I wanted to experiment with the characters and the possible relationships between them. And because I love these ships!

On a pleasantly warm Wednesday Suzuno was coming home from shopping for food. When she reached the stairs to the apartments, all of a sudden, Urushihara ran out of the house and down the stairs, but he failed to reach the ground on his feet – just like everybody else who was in a rush and/or careless in this bad staircase. Suzuno wanted to say good afternoon but she didn't have time because Urushihara landed just right on her. She tried to catch him but of course, she didn't have time to lift her hands either.

'I would have appreciated it if you had caught me…' Urushihara groaned. He was lying crossways on Suzuno's stomach with his back and didn't have the slightest idea of what he wanted to do right then because he had hit his head.

'I had the thought in my head,' she groaned. 'Now I would appreciate it if you got up…'

Urushihara scrambled to his feet and so did Suzuno, picking up the bags she had dropped.

'So, good afternoon,' she said and went up the stairs. Meanwhile she thought about how strange seeing Urushihara outside was, but didn't start to wonder why because she was as careless as he was and fell down. Urushihara tried to catch her but failed too, and Suzuno landed on him.

'Couldn't you walk up the stairs properly…?' Urushihara groaned again.

'And could not you?' Suzuno asked in her usual emotionless tone. Now she was sounder than Urushihara, landing on top, the same way he did before.

'I don't use these stairs often. Now could you get up?'

'Of course.' Suzuno sat up and Urushihara helped her by pushing her up with his palms on her back, then he got up as well.

'So there you are!' Ashiya shouted. He had just come out of the house and stood on top of the stairs, looking very angry. 'Thank you for stopping Urushihara, Kamazuki,' he said while he stomped down.

'Wha…?! Hey!' Urushihara shouted when Ashiya grabbed his collar. 'Let me go!'

'You thought you could escape from the castle, did you?!'

Ashiya dragged the loudly complaining Urushihara back to their apartment. Suzuno picked up her bags again and walked up as well, buried in her thoughts. In her apartment, she put the bags down on the counter and sat down on the floor. After thinking looking at the wall with puckered eyebrows for about ten minutes, she picked her newly got – and first – mobile phone up from the table and called Emi.

'Hello, it's Emi.' Suzuno heard her voice through the telephone.

'It's Suzuno. I need to talk to you in private. Not an emergency, but as soon as possible.'

'Oh, okay, I am at work right now, and I'm going home late, so what about tomorrow afternoon?'

'That's okay with me.'

'Okay, then… oh, wait, I've just remembered that Chiho is coming to my apartment tomorrow afternoon… she also told me that she wanted to talk to me in private. I guess it's about Maou again… but you can come if you don't mind Chiho's presence, and I'm sure she doesn't mind yours so we can talk about you then.'

'I don't mind. It's better that she is also there anyway, I wanted to call her too.'

'Right, then meet you there.'

'Goodbye.'

Suzuno ended the call, and started staring at the wall again.

Next day, Suzuno went to Emi's place in the afternoon. Chiho was already there.

'Hi, Suzuno!' She greeted the girl happily.

'Good afternoon,' Suzuno said and sat down on the floor next to them.

'Suzuno, I have asked Emi but she couldn't answer, so what do you think… what do you think, should I ask Maou… out?' Chiho asked shyly, blushing.

'But Chiho, you have already been on a date,' Emi said. 'So why do you ask?'

'Because it was almost a year ago and now I want it to be a real date! That one didn't end well anyway…'

'I don't have any idea of this dating thing, but if you love him, you should,' Suzuno said in her emotionless tone, as always.

'Oh, I… well, I do love him,' Chiho mumbled blushing more and smiling.

'Well, I have even less idea of dating and you know what I'm going to answer,' Emi said.

'Maou is a demon?' Chiho looked at Emi.

'The worst demon,' Emi and Suzuno said in chorus.

'I don't care, he is the nicest worst demon. Thank you for helping me… and what did you want to talk about, Suzuno?'

'Actually, we are quite at the point.' Suzuno looked down at her hands. 'I wanted to tell you that I felt something strange yesterday, just before I called good Emi.'

'What was that?' Emi asked.

'I was going home and good Hanzo fell down the stairs and fell on me.'

'Wait a minute, Urushihara was outside the apartment?!' Emi shouted. 'That's really strange!'

'It's not the strange thing I wanted to talk about, but good Shiro came out and took him back, saying Hanzo wanted to escape.'

'Escape? Okay, I can understand it but it's also very strange that he even came outside.'

'Then how could he escape if he didn't come outside?' Chiho asked uncomprehendingly.

'I don't know, but he really doesn't come out, just sits in front of his laptop. So, what was strange, Suzuno?'

'Before good Shiro came out, I got up, walked up the stairs and fell down on good Hanzo. He helped me get up by pushing my back. That's when I felt something strange.'

'I don't get it, what was that?' Chiho asked shaking her head.

'I felt something like… I don't really know how to describe it.' Suzuno was thinking looking up. 'It was something like a vibration. In my stomach and chest. After I got up, I still felt his hands on my back, however I knew they weren't there.'

They sat in silence for a second.

'Oh!' Chiho screamed, then smiled widely. 'Suzuno fell in love!'

'Really?' Suzuno asked, and now her face changed, or at least her eyes widened a bit in surprise.

'If yes, you like a very unusual type of boys,' Emi sighed. 'Lucifer, seriously?'

'I'm not sure,' Suzuno said. 'I mean, I have never felt anything like love before.'

'Any kind of it?' Chiho asked surprisedly.

'Any kind of it.'

'Have you never been a teenager?'

'I have, but I worked for the Church of Ente Isla as their assassin.'

'Even as a teenager?'

'Of course. Emi defeated many demons as a teenager. So, I decided to ask you if you know anything about this feeling, because I thought you must be more experienced than me.'

'Well, I am not,' Emi said.

'Not even with Maou?'

'What the…?! I don't feel anything towards him!' Emi shouted angrily.

'Emi, tell me if you're in love with him!' Chiho said. 'I'm going to ask him out, so I have to know!'

'I'll tell you one more time, I DON'T FEEL ANYTHING TOWARDS THAT STUPID DEMON KING!'

'Okay, okay!' Chiho shouted covering her ears. 'I'm relieved.'

'I can't imagine how you couldn't see that! So, let's get back to Suzuno. I don't really think you are in love, I mean, it's not sure. We can't say it's sure by that single experience. It could be just because you didn't expect him to touch you. Just like when someone tickles you.'

'If you have never been in love, then I know better,' Chiho said, 'and I think that's love.'

'Okay, thank you,' Suzuno nodded. 'I think I'll try out something to make it sure.'

'But don't do anything weird,' Emi said.

'I won't,' Suzuno nodded again.


	2. Part Two - The Inquisitor Searches for Answers in Her Own Way

After going home from Emi's place, Suzuno knocked on the demons' door and Ashiya opened it. She offered her help with the dinner.

'We've run out of honey… I have to go to the supermarket. Until then, could you prepare the other ingredients?' Ashiya looked at Suzuno.

'Of course.'

He left and Suzuno started the preparations, but as fast as she could, which looked really weird behind Urushihara sitting calmly, occupied only with his laptop. Suzuno finished in about five minutes, and then, now at normal speed, sat down next to Urushihara. He noticed it but looked at her only a few seconds later without moving his head.

'What's that?'

'I want to ask you for a favor,' Suzuno said, looking through the window.

'Me?'

'Yes. I want to ask you to let me hold your hand.'

Urushihara turned to Suzuno with his head this time and with widened eyes in surprise.

'What? Why?'

'I just want to try something. The only thing you have to do is to let me hold your hand.'

'W-well, right… but I still don't understand.'

'You don't have to.'

'I don't really care anyway,' Urushihara shrugged his shoulder, then held out his hand. He continued his activity on the laptop while Suzuno held his hand for about twenty minutes, sometimes with both of her hands, sometimes with closed eyes, sometimes with puckered eyebrows, and then Ashiya and Maou arrived home, but neither Suzuno nor Urushihara seemed embarrassed because of it.

'We're home!'

'Hi,' Urushihara said in his usual bored tone, not looking at them.

'Good evening,' Suzuno said, not looking at them either.

'What's actually going on?' Maou asked.

'I'm trying out something,' Suzuno answered. Urushihara shrugged his shoulder.

'Okay…'

Maou changed his clothes while Ashiya finished making the dinner. After a few minutes, Urushihara started to feel a bit uncomfortable and give Suzuno frequent looks. She seemed to concentrate very much.

'Um… how long does it take?' he asked.

'I don't know.'

Urushihara turned back to his laptop but now after a few seconds he looked back at Suzuno.

'You're getting scary.'

At that moment, Suzuno let go of Urushihara's hand.

'Thank you.' She stood up. 'Now I'm sure I don't feel anything.'

Urushihara still didn't understand it, but was too lazy to ask, so just shrugged his shoulder again and turned back to his laptop. _Did I hurt her with that? No, she's not a touchy person at all, and didn't sound like one either. Whatever, I don't understand it. I just said it was getting scary, not that it was bad. But why did she want to hold my hand? But I don't really care that much…_

Suzuno helped lay the table and ate with the demons and with Emi and Chiho who arrived just before dinner.

After eating, they said goodbye and outside the demons' apartment, Chiho and Emi asked Suzuno about the plan.

'I asked good Hanzo to let me hold his hand.'

'What did you…?!' Emi was taken aback, just like Chiho.

'He let me. And I don't feel anything. Now I'm going home, I'm tired. Goodbye.'

She turned around and went back to her apartment.

'I think that was weird,' Chiho said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now it seems Suzuno's strange feeling was only a false alarm. But did it start something?


	3. Part Three - The Hero and the Demon General Are Somehow Convinced to Go on a Double Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, unexpected things start to happen to Emi and Ashiya as well. This is a shorter chapter, more like a transition (maybe that's the good word for it?). Some of the following chapters are as short as this and the previous one, some are much longer, as I wanted to make this story episode-like, so I cover only one topic in each chapter.

'What's up, Chiho?' Emi asked picking up her mobile.

'I need to talk to you about this date-thing…' Chiho answered, sounding very nervous. 'I wanted to ask Mr Maou out today, but I became shy and I couldn't…'

'I don't understand you, you have been on a date before.'

'Yes, but as I said, now it's really a date! So, I thought I would be more confident if you came with me.'

'WHA…?!' Emi spat out the water she was drinking. 'Do you actually know what a date is and how many people need to be there to call it a date?!'

'I know, calm down, I was talking about a double date.'

'It's not better either. With whom? Where should I pick a date up?'

'That's quite obvious, you can come with Mr Ashiya.'

'WHAAAT?'

Nobody knows how (even Emi didn't understand), but Chiho managed to make her go on her double date with Ashiya. Fortunately, Chiho was willing to ask him instead of Emi.

'Why do we have to be here anyway?' Ashiya asked when they were already in the park and Chiho and Maou were talking about where they should go first.

'Because Chiho was shy and couldn't go on a date without company,' Emi sighed.

'I don't understand.'

'Neither do I… however, we were there on their first one too. Okay, let's take it as a normal meeting.'

'Of course we are not on a date.'

Everything went well, in the evening Chiho even came to the demons' apartment to have dinner with them and with Suzuno and Emi.

'How was the double date?' Suzuno asked, when they were already eating.

'It was actually only one date,' Emi said.

'Well, Ashiya and Emi didn't talk to each other at all, that's true,' Maou said.

'Were we supposed to?' Emi sighed.

'Of course, you were on a…' Chiho started, but Emi and Ashiya finished in an alternative way:

'IT WASN'T A DATE!'

'Sorry.' Chiho covered her ears.

'I cannot understand how you could expect us to act as if we were on a date, sire!' Ashiya said to Maou. 'Emilia, the Hero and me, great demon general Alsiel? Absolutely unacceptable!'

'I agree,' Emi nodded. 'The very idea is unbearable.'

The next day was a workday, so only Ashiya, Urushihara and Suzuno stayed at home.

'You seem somehow… strange, Emi,' Rika said at work.

'Sorry, what?' Emi looked at her.

'You seem… I don't know, sad. Did anything happen?'

'No, not really.' Emi turned back to the monitor.

Rika asked once again in the changing room, because she really saw Emi's face spiritless. Emi said she was just tired.

Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Ashiya wasn't at home last night, or maybe not. Nobody knew he wasn't there because he had gone late night when both Maou and Urushihara were already sleeping and came back in the morning with a bag of vegetables, saying he had been shopping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mysterious, isn't it? What do you think, what happened between them?


	4. Part Four - The Inquisitor Carries Out Her Plan, Only Not as Planned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of my favourite chapters! And also one of the longest ones :)  
> Suzuno experiences that strange feeling again, comes up with a 'new' plan, and things become fast and tense. At least for Urushihara certainly. Enjoy!

Until the next day, nothing happened which had something to do with Urushihara and Suzuno, but now, again in the afternoon, Urushihara tried to escape. Failed again, of course. And it was by sheer coincidence that Suzuno was there and 'caught' him again, but this time she was the only one who fell down the stairs. So, Suzuno was going up to the apartments when Urushihara rushed out of there and she wanted to greet him but the ex-demon general was so fast she didn't even have time to say a word, and then she fell, at the same moment Urushihara was already down there.

'Hurry up, Ashiya's coming!' he said and pushed away Suzuno the same way he had done two days ago, his palms on the girl's back. And Suzuno suddenly felt the same buzzing, but was distracted from it because Ashiya came out shouting.

'URUSHIHARA!'

'May I help you?' Suzuno asked getting up when Ashiya ran past her, after Urushihara, who was already on the street.

'No, thank you, Kamazuki!' he shouted back, so Suzuno just collected her dropped bags and went up the stairs. Ashiya came back seconds later, pulling Urushihara after him by his collar.

In her apartment, Suzuno put down the bags and called Emi to ask her to meet again. Emi wasn't busy so they met that day, and Chiho came too because Suzuno asked her as well.

'Well, Suzuno, I don't think it's a good plan,' Emi said unconfidently.

'It was my best idea.'

'Then how bad were the others…?' Emi murmured with wide eyes.

'I think it won't… make him love you,' Chiho said.

'I don't want him to love me.' Suzuno looked at her.

'Then why?' Chiho shook her head.

'I just want to know if I feel love or not.'

'Where did you grow up?' Chiho asked. 'You just don't understand love!'

'Leave her, Chiho,' Emi waved. 'But please, don't do this. It's not a…'

'I insist on my plan.' Suzuno stood up. 'I just wanted to let you know. I'm going to do this anyway. This is the only way to know what I feel. Thank you for your advice. Goodbye.'

And Suzuno left Emi's apartment. Emi and Chiho were looking at the door for seconds after she had closed it behind herself.

'We didn't give her advice… she just said what she was going to do,' Emi said.

'I don't understand her.'

'And we don't understand humans on Earth.'

Arriving at the house, Suzuno didn't have to look for Urushihara, he was sitting alone on the lowest stair-step (not that she would have had to look for him anyway, the only other possibility was in front of his laptop). He was elbowing on his knees and supported his jaw with his hands with a both bored and annoyed look on his face. He glanced up when Suzuno stepped beside him.

'What's up?' he murmured.

'Good afternoon. How come you are here?'

'Ashiya threw me out because I didn't help him do the stupid chores.'

'You really should take part in doing the chores, good Hanzo. And leave your computer sometimes.'

'Oh, come on.' He turned away. 'Just go in and leave me alone, Bell.'

'I actually need you.'

Suzuno sat down next to Urushihara.

'You don't have to do anything. I just want to figure out something and I need your hand again.'

'B-but what is this all about?' He looked at her with a face halfway through shock and mild embarrassment, even recoiled slightly.

'Sorry, but I can tell you only when I am sure about it.'

'Eh, whatever then.' Urushihara sighed and held out his hand.

Now Suzuno tried other forms of holding hands, concentrating deeply, much to Urushihara's boredom, but slight embarrassment too. He just looked ahead and thought about what he could do with his laptop if it was with him, but if he tried to steal it, Ashiya would discover it. Urushihara was really afraid of this 'househusband' Ashiya's anger. He was even more dangerous now than as a demon back then. However, Urushihara's thoughts were sometimes distracted, because it wasn't half bad that Suzuno was holding his hand. Her hands were smooth. He got a bit startled and blushed when Suzuno spoke right after he thought this.

'Okay, thank you,' she said, but still didn't let go of his hand. Not that he minded now, but he wouldn't have admitted that. Urushihara looked at her. 'I just need one more thing. I want to kiss you.'

At that moment Urushihara's eyes and mouth widened in surprise and as he saw the serious look on Suzuno's face, he jumped and ran inside the apartments as fast as he could – it was a close shave he didn't fall down this time. Suzuno was just looking after him uncomprehendingly while she heard Ashiya:

'I TOLD YOU NOT TO COME BACK, LUCIFER!'

And other loud dumps.

'LUCIFER, COME OUT!'

'Leave me alone, Alsiel!' Suzuno did not hear this one, because this time Urushihara wasn't that loud and his voice filtered through the boxes he used to sleep in only for Ashiya to hear. 'I won't be in the way! I'm not even here…'

'Argh,' Ashiya growled. 'Whatever, you won't get your laptop back until dinner!'

'Whatever!'

That really surprised Ashiya. Urushihara passed his computer up? Willingly?

'What… what happened to you, actually?'

Urushihara didn't answer, so Ashiya just shrugged his shoulder and continued cleaning the sink. About half an hour passed in silence, while Urushihara couldn't stop thinking and was looking at his hands. _W-why did she want to do that?! What the hell?! Does she like me? No, I think I would have noticed that earlier. But she's quite a strange type of person. So what is it all about?! Why did she want to kiss me all of a sudden? And what should I do now? Man, what happened to me?_ He buried his face in his hands.

'Ashiya…'

The white-haired man turned around and saw his roommate only to his eyes, peeking out of the boxes. He looked red though.

'What?'

'What does it mean… no.'

He made up his mind and got out of his boxes, straight to the small bathroom. Ashiya decided not to care about what he had in his mind as long as he wasn't in the way. Meanwhile, Urushihara washed his face and looked in the tiny cracked mirror on the wall. _Okay, if she wants it, she will get it. It wasn't bad to hold her hand, and she's not bad company either, but I don't think I'm attracted to her. I want to know why she wanted it._ Ashiya didn't even notice that he went out of their apartment as quickly as he could. He stepped in front of Suzuno's door. After a big gulp, he knocked.

'Coming.' He heard Suzuno's voice through the door and had to gulp again. She opened the door. 'Oh. Good Hanzo.'

He just stood there with an unusually tense face.

'What is it?' she asked as if nothing had happened between them half an hour ago. Urushihara had thought it over in his boxes and while he couldn't imagine why Suzuno wanted to kiss him so out of nowhere (especially considering the fact he was a fallen angel and the girl was an ex-assassin for the Church), he decided to say he was okay with the kiss, but here, right in front of her, he had literally no idea what to say and how.

'Uhm…'

He looked at Suzuno waiting and immediately leaned forward to kiss her, instead of saying anything. And that was when Suzuno jumped back frightened and pulled her hammer out of the flower-shaped ornament in her hair, much to Urushihara's horror.

'WHAT ARE YOU DOING?'

'DON'T HURT ME!'

Urushihara ran again, and literally ran over the startled Ashiya who had just come out of their apartment to see what was going on.

'What happe… what did Urushihara do?!' he shouted as he saw the hammer in the both frightened and uncomprehending Suzuno's hand.

'Who shouted?!' Emi and Chiho had just run up the stairs and rushed into the apartments after hearing the loud voices. They all looked at Suzuno who changed her hammer back into the hair ornament and ran back to her apartment.

'Maybe… maybe Suzuno did what she told us!' Chiho exclaimed.

'I am sure she did what she told us,' Emi said.

'What are you talking about?' Ashiya asked.

'Not your business! Let's go, Chiho.'

'This is my business as well!' Ashiya went after the two who were heading to Suzuno's place. 'Urushihara was strange and he's in my custody right now!'

They stepped into Suzuno's apartment. She, now with pinned-up hair again, sat in front of her table, but not with her usual emotionless face. Actually, it was emotionless, just a bit different.

'Did you do it?' Emi asked.

'No, he ran away. But then he came and wanted to… I don't know what he wanted to do, he just leaned too close.'

'He wanted to kiss you on your lips!' Chiho exclaimed, covering her mouth in surprise.

'What is going on actually…?' Ashiya started, but the younger girl shut the door in his face.

'Stay back! It's a girls-among-girls thing!'

'Ah… I don't care! I want to know where my lord is!'

'He said he was coming half an hour later, needed to finish something in the restaurant.' Emi opened the door until she finished this sentence, then slammed it again.

Ashiya went back fretfully to prepare dinner. A few minutes passed and the three girls came in.

'Where's good Hanzo?' Suzuno asked.

'I guess in his boxes.'

Suzuno kneeled before the boxes, while Emi and Chiho sat down next to the table, and Ashiya was watching them curiously, because he really didn't understand anything.

'Good Hanzo,' Suzuno started. 'Sorry, I did not want to scare you. I wanted to hold your hand because when you touched my back a few days ago, I felt some strange vibration, and I didn't know what to think about that. Chiho said I might be in love. I was not sure of that, knowing very little of these type of feelings, and decided to find out. I'm sorry if I scared you.'

He didn't respond. Chiho and Emi sat tensely.

'Good Hanzo?'

And then they all heard a sound coming from the bathroom – the sound of the toilet. And then Urushihara came out.

'Oh…' They all stared at him. 'What is… going on?'

'That is more than enough!' Chiho got up and so did Emi.

'I have to admit, yes.'

They pushed Suzuno and Urushihara out to the corridor, and shut the door after them. She looked at him, and he looked down nervously.

'Look, I did not…'

'I'll tell you again,' Suzuno spoke. 'I wanted to hold your hand because when you touched my back a few days ago, I felt some strange vibration, and I didn't know what to think about that. Chiho said I might be in love. I was not sure of that, knowing very little of these type of feelings, and decided to find out. That is why I also wanted to kiss you. I didn't mean to scare you.'

'Oh.' That was all he could say, again. He was not that tense now. 'And I did not mean to scare you either,' he said. 'And I… I am okay with the kiss, if you still want to.'

He didn't know why he said that while the thing he wanted to know had already been told. Maybe because he felt the whole atmosphere between them so awkward without any mention of it.

'Right,' she nodded.

There was no turning back now. He became tense again and wanted to do it quickly, so he leaned forward and touched Suzuno's lips with his. When he leaned back and opened his eyes, he realized Suzuno had leaned back a bit too, and covered her mouth with her hand, eyes widened.

'Wha… what's that?' he asked, blushing and slightly startled by her expression. Suzuno took her hands away from in front of her mouth.

'I meant a kiss on the cheek.'

They just stood opposite each other for minutes silently. Even when Maou finally came home and asked what had happened. Other seconds of silence passed, but now three of them were staring at each other.

'Meet at dinner,' Suzuno said. 'Goodbye until then.'

'Goodbye,' Urushihara said, and they both headed to their apartments, leaving an uncomprehending Maou in the corridor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have two drawings for this chapter on my DeviantArt page, one of Ashiya and Urushihara (in his boxes) and one of Urushihara and Suzuno holding hands. Not masterpieces at all, but I'm proud of them :D Check them out, you can find me as Hyaziinthe on DA :)


	5. Part Five - The Inquisitor and the Fallen Angel Eventually Clear the Situation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a shorter section again. As the title says, Suzuno and Urushihara talk to each other the first time since that 'incident'. :)

Suzuno and Urushihara didn't talk to each other directly for a couple of days, except for greetings. The former didn't tell Emi and Chiho about what had happened on the corridor, no matter how hard they tried to get information about it (now Emi was curious too). Suzuno only said it turned out they misunderstood each other, which was actually quite accurate. Ashiya told Maou what he had heard from the girls but they didn't ask Urushihara.

'Do you think they like each other?' Maou speculated while he and Ashiya were going home from shopping.

'I can't answer, sire. Neither of them seem that kind of people, and there has been nothing happening that might have implied this.'

'I'm curious what would turn out of it.'

'You're not even worried about it that if they get closer to each other, it would cause trouble to us in the future?'

'I can't really imagine Urushihara willing to leave his computer and join us as a demon general again in Ente Isla. But if it happens, they will have to solve it, not us. What we do right now, eating every day with the Hero and a member of the Church, is already against our rules. And a human of course.'

'If I may ask, sire… is the relationship between you and Miss Sasaki, by any chance, getting stronger? Do you reciprocate her feelings?'

'Well, I…' Maou sighed, and scratched the back of his neck. 'I wouldn't say that. I like her and I appreciate her feelings towards me. That's why I don't mind spending time with her, even if that's a date. But she knows that, and she's okay with that, she told me. So I'm not afraid she feels I'm deceiving her when I accept her invitations.'

'Humans are truly inexplicable, sire.'

When they got home, Maou went to their apartment, and Ashiya went to Suzuno's.

'Coming.' Suzuno opened her door after hearing the knock.

'Lunch is ready in a few minutes,' he said.

'Thank you. I would like to talk to good Hanzo. Is he there?'

'Yes, of course…' he said a bit surprisedly, and just looked after Suzuno who was already on her way. Urushihara was more surprised when he noticed her stepping next to him.

'Y-yes?'

'I would like to talk to you,' she said.

'Uhm, okay,' he nodded. He was nervous again. Of course he thought a lot about what had happened between them, and wanted to talk to her too, just wasn't as determinate as she was. He gulped.

'I thought it over, and now I think I misunderstood my feelings. Sorry for causing trouble. I would like to remain friends with you.'

'Ah… friends?'

'Yes. I think now I can call you all my friends in this world.'

'Okay,' he agreed. Suzuno smiled at him, and Urushihara, though a bit awkwardly, returned the smile.

They all ate together that day as usual, and everything went back to normal – except for the small change that Suzuno came to the demons even more often and she and Urushihara started to interact more than before. Either just talk, or help each other – Urushihara showed her his video games and once Suzuno managed to make him wash up the plates he had used.


	6. Part Six - The Demon General Becomes Indebted to the Hero

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, Ashiya and Emi are forced to get closer to each other... in a certain meaning. Whether you like this ship or not, I hope you'll enjoy the upcoming chapters about them. Of course, Suzuno and Urushihara won't be missing either :)

One day Emi went to visit Suzuno but she didn't find her at her apartment. Since she was already there, she decided to see how the demons were doing too.

'A minute.' She heard Ashiya's voice through the door after she knocked. He sounded unusually weak. He opened the door, and Emi saw he really looked weak, his face was pale and peaky. 'What do you want, Emilia?'

'I was looking for Suzuno. And are you all right, Alsiel?' she sighed.

'I sent Urushihara with Kamazuki to the shop. And I am not all right, as you can see. I feel very faint. Do not waste my time if you don't want to help.'

'You really look ill. Why don't you go to the doctor's anyway?' Emi asked as she stepped in the apartment and took her shoes off.

'I do not have to go to the doctor's. I just need to rest a bit, that is all.'

'You don't seem to be resting right now, you know…' Emi said as Ashiya lifted the mop stick and his face turnedwhiter and whiter. 'Ashiya!'

The tall man collapsed, and Emi ran to him. She needed a little time to realize he murmured:

'No doctors… we don't have the money… no doctors…'

'You're so careless! You have a fever. You need to go to the hospital!'

'No… no hospital…'

Ashiya's eyes couldn't focus, so Emi worried it could be serious.

'Come on, how can a simple fever knock a demon general out? And not for the first time,' she snapped at him, and attempted to lift him up.

'No matter how much beneath my dignity, I am a simple human being right now… don't… I am not going to hospital… no money…'

'I can't believe it. You should get a job too!'

If she called the ambulance, Ashiya would resist with his last strength, even in this state, and she couldn't take him to the hospital by herself. No matter how much she didn't want it and how much she was disgusted by the idea, Emi knew she had to help him take a cold shower at least. His fever wasn't that high, so she decided to call a doctor only if the shower didn't help.

'You can't even imagine how much I hate you,' she murmured while she drew the half-conscious Ashiya to the bathroom. 'I need you to help me as much as you can, okay? Or I won't care and I'll call a doctor.'

Constantly cussing in herself and with an annoyed look on her face, she managed to pull off the T-shirt and trousers he was wearing, leaving the shorts on, and with much difficulty, but managed to drag him in the small bathtub. She dashed his body and his face with cold water, then wiped him with a towel. At this point, he got a bit better, so she didn't have to help him with his clothes as much as before the shower. Afterwards, he wobbled to his mattress where he lied down, Emi covered him with his blankets, put a wet towel on his forehead, and sighed. She decided to finish the cleaning until Urushihara and Suzuno arrived. After they came, she went home and left Ashiya to them.

Two days later, Ashiya was feeling well again, fortunately without the help of a doctor. He hadn't seen Emi since then and the others realized he was more louringthan before.

'Is there anything that's bothering you, Ashiya?' Maou asked while the three demon boys were having breakfast. Urushihara next to his laptop, as usual.

'I am indebted to the Hero for curing me.' He put down his chopsticks tensely. 'I have to talk to her. But thanking the Hero, as a demon. I cannot do that.'

'Suzuno said Emi had caught something too,' Urushihara spoke, while he was clicking wildly with the mouse. Ashiya stood up, and opened their wardrobe.

'What are you doing, Ashiya?' Maou asked.

'There is only one thing I can do now,' he answered, starting to put his clothes into a backpack. 'Thanking her and staying indebted is like losing my pride as a demon general. So the only thing I can do is to pay the debt right now. I am sorry, my lord, but I must leave the castle to you and Urushihara for a few days,' he turned towards them. 'I will inform Kamazuki about this so she will help if needed.'

'Okay, if you wish,' Maou said, still a bit uncomprehendingly.

'So your solution is to nurse Emi?' Urushihara asked. 'She didn't do the same to you.'

'But she technically saved me. If she hadn't helped me, I would have been in a much worse state. And she also respected my request not to call an ambulance, unlike you back then.'

'Dude, this is not true!' Urushihara turned to him. 'If I hadn't called one, you would definitely have been dead! You looked miserable!'

'Stop it, guys,' Maou interrupted, not wanting it to become another argument as usual between the two. 'What is it between you and Suzuno anyway?' he asked Urushihara. 'I heard you calling her Crestia one day.'

'We agreed to call each other our real names in private.' He turned back to his laptop. 'Because why not if we know each other? We only do this in private.'

'So is there… by any chance… so are you two getting closer to each other?'

'What do you mean?'

'King Satan is hinting at the possibility of you two getting close to each other, like a couple,' Ashiya said while he continued packing. 'Which I also consider dangerous. We may act like friends on Earth, but we are still demons and they are the Hero and the grand inquisitor of the Ente Islan Church.'

'Dude, chill, this is not like that!' They didn't see his face, but they both felt he got a bit more tense. 'She is just not a jerk to me, unlike you!'

'I'm not saying anything, I was just curious,' Maou shrugged his shoulder.


	7. Part Seven - The Demon General Takes Care of the Hero

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With this chapter, the story reached its midpoint. I would like to thank you for the comments and kudos I got so far! I was so happy to receive them. :)
> 
> In part seven, Ashiya goes to Emi's apartment to pay his debt, and serious topics come up between them about the current situation. From now on, Emi will be more in the center, and a mysterious event that happened not so long ago will also be uncovered soon.

Emi was lying on her bed and watching TV, but she could barely pay attention to the programme. She had a terrible headache, and couldn't do anything but wait for the medicine to act. Suddenly, she heard knocking on the door.

'Ah… a minute,' she said as loud as she could, and got up. When she saw Ashiya's face through the peephole, she almost forgot the headache. 'WHAT THE… What are you doing here?' She flung the door open.

'I heard you fell sick as well,' he said. 'And since this is not the season when most people fall sick, there is a high probability you caught it from me. I am also indebted to you because of helping me when I had fever and collapsed. As I can't stand being indebted to the Hero, I decided to come here and help you where I can and put my pride in my pocket. I am even willing to help you take a refreshing bath.'

'Woah, no way, pervert!' she recoiled with her hands in front of her. 'Look, I was wiser than you and went to the doctor's. I got meds and I will definitely be fine tomorrow, so I don't need your help. I didn't even help you to make you indebted. Go home, the 'castle' is going to collapse without you, if you left Urushihara there.'

'I asked Kamazuki to help, so there will not be any problems. Let me in. I am sure this apartment needs serious cleaning. I will make you lunch and dinner, and you can rest.'

'No way, just leave, Ashiya! What the hell is this 'indebted' mania of yours? You're a demon, you don't even need to be thankful to the Hero!'

'Debt is a serious concept among demons as well. Let me in, Yusa.'

'Argh, okay, then, but you'll do what I say.'

'Fine by me.'

'And go home in the evening! Did you want to move here or something? What's that huge backpack?'

'I prepared for staying here for at least three days if needed.'

'It's not needed. Bring me a glass of water and clean what you find,' Emi instructed while getting back to her bed. 'My headache came back… oh, and you cannot touch my boxes in the bathroom, nor my clothes. Understood?'

'Understood, Hero.'

'Fine. And if you attempt to poison me…'

'I am not that pitiful to use poison, Yusa. You really underrate demons. But as I said, debt is a serious concept, even if I am indebted to the Hero herself.'

After her headache was gone, Emi was definitely much better than Ashiya had been, but still felt weak, so the day passed with her watching TV and Ashiya doing the chores around the house and making food. She was suspicious of course, but he had no intention of harming her. In fact, they barely talked, and in the afternoon it was almost like they didn't even know about the other's presence. After a warm bath he had prepared, Emi fell asleep around four o'clock and woke up only at six the next day.

 _Nice… I feel much better_ , she thought while stretching in her bed. _I think I'll have this day off too, but maybe I'll be strong enough to go to work tomorrow._

When she got up and switched her bedside lamp on, she almost screamed. She saw Ashiya lying on the couch with a pillow under his head and covered by a blanket.

'ASHIYA!'

'Yes, my lo… oh, it's you, Hero,' he got up startled.

'What the hell are you doing here?!' She was furious.

'Well, as you had fallen asleep, I had to decide on my own whether to stay or go. I am sure you need at least one more day to rest. Since you already woke me up,' he got up, 'I'll go prepare breakfast and then continue cleaning.'

'Housewife…'

He did so, and even Emi had to admit he did his job very well. Of course, he had enough time to practise, being at home almost all the time since they arrived here with Maou.

It was around eight in the morning when someone rang the doorbell. Ashiya went to see who it was through the peephole.

'This is your workmate, Suzuki,' he turned back to Emi. 'Do you want me to let her in?'

'Yes, please,' she got up. 'But don't be surprised if she thinks you're here for another reason.'

'What do you mean?'

'I hate to even say… that there's something between us. She likes to think unrealistic things like that, just like when she was sure there was something between Maou and me.'

'I will assure her it is nothing like that.'

'So will I.'

Ashiya opened the door, and greeted Rika.

'Good morning, Miss Suzuki. Yusa is in her bedroom.'

'Oh, Mr Ashiya!' Rika was very surprised. 'I didn't expect you to be here…'

'To make the situation clear, I am currently helping Emi Yusa in exchange for her helping me a few days ago when I fell ill as well.'

'Oh, I understand,' Rika nodded, but there was that almost invisible smirk on her face. 'Hi, Emi!' she waved happily. 'I just popped in before work.'

'Nice to see you, Rika,' Emi smiled. 'Sit down on the couch, but don't come too close to me, I don't want you to catch this. Fortunately, I feel much better than yesterday.'

'Nice to hear!'

Rika didn't sit on the couch, she came in the bedroom and closed the door behind herself.

'So, is Ashiya here for only that reason?' she winked. 'A young man at a young woman's place.'

'Again, Rika?' Emi fought off her fury. 'Maou is the person after the last person I could fall in love with, and then the last person is Ashiya. So stop it please! And I wouldn't call Ashiya a man, he's rather the minion of the cockroach.'

'DON'T YOU DARE CALL MY LIEGE A COCKROACH!' Ashiya shouted outside the bedroom – Rika jumped from in front of the door in terror.

'STOP HARKING AND DO YOUR WORK!' Emi shouted back.

'I ALWAYS HEAR IF YOU CALL MY LORD INAPPROPRIATE NAMES!'

'That was unexpected,' Rika said.

'You haven't known them as long as I have, I have very good reasons for calling them like that,' Emi said. 'If you say something about the hypothetic relationship between either Maou or Ashiya and me, I will be really mad.'

'Okay, okay, but come on, you have to admit that both of them are handsome and Ashiya's even an excellent housekeeper and extremely loyal! I don't care what you say, he was very polite and kind to me.'

'Did you just say polite and kind in the same sentence you mentioned Ashiya?' Emi raised her eyebrows.

'I don't understand you at all, Emi.' Rika sighed, but then her lips curved into a smirk. 'I think they're cute.'

'No way.'

'All right, I think I have to go now. I brought you some sweets.' She gave a small box to Emi. 'I hope I'll see you next week at work.'

'Oh, thank you very much. And I think I can go to work on Friday already, so don't worry.'

'Right then. Get well soon! Bye!' Rika winked, and after she said goodbye to Ashiya too, left.

A few hours passed in silence, and Emi was thinking way too much about what Rika had said than needed. Then Ashiya came with lunch on a tray. Emi took the tray without saying anything, as they had agreed on no one thanks for anything.

'Can I ask you something?' Emi spoke suddenly, but quietly, when the white-haired man put down his tray on the coffee table and sat down on the couch.

'About what?' Ashiya looked at her.

'Answer honestly. Do you still care about conquering Ente Isla and this world?'

Ashiya didn't answer right away, just watched her, without batting an eyelid at the question.

'Because you don't really seem so,' Emi continued before he could speak. 'Of course, I'll never let my guard down, so don't think you can do anything just because we all start to act like friends.'

'Nobody has ever thought that, don't worry, Hero,' Ashiya said.

'So what brought you to this state? Maou seems to only care about his position at MgRonald's, you about the household chores and Urushihara, and I even heard Urushihara saying once that he doesn't intend to go back to Ente Isla if there's no Internet connection. If your answer is somehow no, what do you think about your previous actions as a demon general?'

Emi didn't sound calling to account, rather thoughtful and maybe a bit, almost invisibly spiritless.

'Look, Yusa,' Ashiya turned away, and copied her thoughtfulness. 'Right now, none of us has enough magic to use it, and it does not replenish by itself. So it would be completely pointless to plan on conquering anything, if that's not MgRonald's, as my master would say. Of course, we could not count on Urushihara, I am sure he would not come with us if we ever succeed to continue the conquering if he can't take advantage of it, but he has always been like that. All we did, we did that on purpose. We had our goals. And my answer is: I go where King Satan goes.'

Even if they didn't notice it, it was the first time they didn't talk to each other with at least a slight anger.

'Now let me ask you something,' Ashiya said. 'What do you feel towards my lord? Do you still plan on killing him once you get a chance?'

'Not just him, but you and Urushihara too,' Emi answered immediately. 'But, firstly, him, of course. What do I feel towards Maou? I'm pretty sure you're not implying what the others say all the time. Weird, but… after all these things have happened, the battle against Olba and Lucifer, then against Sariel, I could call you demons my friends on Earth after all. On Ente Isla, we are still sworn enemies. But here, we became comrades.'

'I agree with you,' Ashiya nodded.

'Well, that's rare. And what is going on with Suzuno and Urushihara anyway?'

'They claim they are friends. They spend a lot of time together, and I have to admit, it makes Urushihara useful. I could say he got a bit more outgoing too, sometimes he doesn't even need to be asked to go shopping with Kamazuki. Of course, for us, he would still never do anything. But firstly, he learned how to wash the dishes properly, thanks to Kamazuki. I told him not to get 'that' close to her as we are still enemies on Ente Isla, but their relationship is truly making Urushihara more bearable.'

'That's good to hear. Suzuno told me they did this and that together… and Chiho is pretty sure they are going to become a couple soon, but she is thinking too much, just like Rika. I don't know what's with her and Maou actually, but about Urushihara and Suzuno, I also have to admit they look like a couple sometimes. And sometimes not, because both of them are as neutral as they can be.'

'True. As for Miss Sasaki and my lord, he said earlier that it makes him happy that she cares for him. I have never heard him talking about it or implying that he reciprocates these feelings.'

'And here we are, we ended up talking about relationships.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to note about Rika that I tried hard not to make it look like I'm trying to get rid of her or something xD I know that in the manga, her feelings for Ashiya are confirmed, and it can be suspected in the anime too. When I saw the anime for the first time, I saw her attraction as simple symphaty and I build on that in my story, that's why here she doesn't have romantic feelings for him.


	8. Part Eight - The Hero Is Between Hell and High Water

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Emi and Ashiya bump into each other again, and while they don't stop annoying each other at all, they also start to get along better than before. A secret that Emi has been keeping to herself until now is revealed.

The next day Emi felt completely fine so Ashiya went home after lunch, only to find an incredibly clean and tidy apartment of theirs, called the 'castle' by the demons. It turned out Suzuno had cooked and Urushihara had washed the dishes. What a huge and incredible progression, Ashiya and Maou thought.

The next time Emi and Ashiya saw each other happened by accident, in a supermarket.

'This just cannot be…' Emi murmured when she noticed the tall, white haired man looking through a long shelf and studying his shopping list profoundly. 'What are you doing here? I didn't know you come here to shop,' she spoke as she stepped behind him, resulting in a loud yell from Ashiya.

'Hero! I could ask the same thing!' he turned accusingly.

'Nope. This is the supermarket where I shop, and it's quite distant from your 'castle' as you three call it. So how come you're here, Ashiya?' she sighed. 'If I want a single day without you three, then you just pop up somewhere near me.'

'As if you minded it. Otherwise you come and watch for us!'

'You think I like it that much? It's my job as the Hero. So why are you here?'

'Because the area where I do the shopping is under reconstruction right now, and this one is the only supermarket nearby where I can buy all the things I need, Urushihara looked it up for me on the Internet. But this arrangement of products is simply getting on my nerves! How can you find anything here?'

'Ah… well, you're so lucky I'm self-sacrificing enough to help you.'

'No!' Ashiya protested fiercely, surprising Emi. 'Sorry, Hero, but I cannot allow myself to become indebted to you again.'

'Stop it, Ashiya, you're the one who's getting on my nerves! I doubt you have been devoted to this concept of debt all along. It's a new mania of yours. I have helped you before, for example when Urushihara was involved in a fraud!'

'That time you helped all of us, not only me, and I think that action of yours was compensated when my lord saved you. More than once!'

'Technically, I am currently helping all of you to stay alive in this world. Sorry, I can't stand seeing my sworn enemy fumbling with a simple shopping list!' With that word, she snatched the paper from Ashiya's hands and started listing where he would find the items. He recoiled and covered his ears with an expression of terror on his face.

'No! Stop it, Hero!'

'Shut up, you unviable shame of all demons, I'll help you!' Emi shouted and hit Ashiya's head with the paper. All the customers were looking at them now, they were very loud.

'How dare you hit me…?!'

'Just take it!' she threw the paper into his hands. 'You have already heard it, a simple thanks is enough! Hurry up, because there's a serious discount for microwaves, if you need one, call me!'

She turned and stomped to the pay-desk. Ashiya sighed and turned in the opposite direction to start collecting the items on his list. _Wait a minute! Did she just say… discount… for microwaves?_

He froze. A microwave was what he had been craving for months and what would ease their lives…

_No! What if she lied? But I must go and see… where is it?!_

When he finally managed to find all the things written on his shopping list and left the supermarket, he noticed Emi's long magenta hair not too far. She was standing in front of a café and talking to a white haired woman. He stood there for a moment looking at them. Then the woman noticed him and he turned away. Ashiya knew who that woman was and was curious what Emi would choose in the end.

He could not ask her right now about the discount, so he phoned Urushihara to ask him to look it up on the Internet. To everyone's surprise, he didn't find anything, which was suspicious enough in itself but Ashiya decided to look around in the area, because that microwave was really important.

Half an hour later and a few streets farther, Emi's phone rang. When she saw who the caller was, a grin spread across her face.

'What do you need?' she picked up the mobile.

'You really like playing games with me, don't you?' she heard Ashiya's voice.

'Well, demons like causing chaos among humans, so I do the same to you. But the discount really exists. I just wanted you to need my help. It's more fun than I thought.'

'I don't have time for that! Just spit it out, woman!'

'Meet me at the park in three minutes.'

'What park?'

Emi sighed. Ashiya wasn't familiar in this area.

But when he got home two hours later, he was happier than ever – he managed to purchase a microwave cheaper than in his dreams! And somehow accepted the Hero's help, mostly because for her, seeing Ashiya so miserable was so much fun she considered it as payback.

Furthermore, shopping became a common topic between the two, and they ended up going shopping together regularly – mostly because it turned out both of them did their shopping trip on Saturdays and both of them knew useful shops for the other. When this topic came up, they couldn't stop – of course, the conversation turned into argument every five minutes about shops thought to be better and about beneficial ways of living. Emi said the demons did this in an extremely dull way and Ashiya said she did this like a mere human (what she actually was, but Ashiya intended to use this phrase as an offence), but later he admitted Emi knew some useful places and they agreed she would show them to him, and vice versa. So three or four hours passed with them being together, not in the most peaceful way, but loud spats became rare soon. However, it wasn't just because they slowly got along better after spending this much time together. Emi really seemed melancholic.

Ashiya felt this from the very beginning, and it actually started when they talked in her apartment. No, rather when they met that night, a few weeks before. He was almost sure her mood had changed because of the matter they talked about back then, but the whole thing was a bit suspicious for him. He wouldn't have thought the demons were so important for her, or at least, this important. And that could have meant that… maybe she really fell for Maou? Ashiya would have been the last person to consider this 'rumor' true, but now he felt that there was a chance it was. One day, he decided to talk about it.

'Not really my business,' he started while they walked through a supermarket, 'but you are not yourself since you started meeting that woman.'

Emi didn't respond immediately.

'No,' she said. 'Not your business.'

'I just decided to mention it because it is very obvious. At least, for me. I would say I felt something had changed you when we talked in your apartment, but no, you act differently when you meet her. I see you with her sometimes in that café when I come to our meeting spot. And you are always sad when you come here afterwards.'

'Look, not your business – I told you, okay?' she snapped at him.

'I am trying to understand you. But I cannot.'

'Why would you want to do that?' she sighed.

'Because of a potential danger.'

'Oh, I know now.' She rolled her eyes. This movement assured Ashiya that her assumed intentions weren't so serious. Or at least, she was hesitating. And that was all right now.

They didn't talk until they were heading to the demons' apartment. It was close to lunchtime, which the company always spent together on Saturdays. They almost arrived, the gate of the 'castle' was in front of them, but all of a sudden, Emi stopped.

Ashiya turned around to see what was up with her. She had been walking a step behind him all the way. She was glaring at the ground and on her face he saw mixed expressions of pain, thoughtfulness and guilt.

'She told me my father was alive,' she spoke before he could ask anything. Ashiya's eyes widened in surprise.

'What?'

'She managed to save him before our home village was burnt to ashes,' Emi continued, still not looking at Ashiya. 'My father is in Japan too.'

It was completely absurd that Emi told this to Ashiya.

'Does anybody else know?' he asked.

'No.'

Seconds of silence filled the space between them. His tension and surprise passed off.

'Then why are you sad?' he asked, and Emi looked at him. 'This way you should be happy. Your whole family is alive and safe on Earth.'

Emi reacted in a way Ashiya hadn't expected. Her eyes widened and she started shaking.

'H-happy? I SHOULD BE HAPPY?!' she cried out loud, and dropped all her bags to lift her hands to her face. 'How could I be happy if I don't know what to do?!'

This kind of behavior completely surprised Ashiya. He just stood there, looking at Emi.

'I don't know where I am standing!' she shouted. He saw the rolling tears between her fingers. 'Why are you acting like this anyway? WHY?! It doesn't make any sense! You're demons, aren't you?! You were all cruel on Ente Isla, slaughtering thousands, no matter who they were, men, women, children, no matter! And here, you help others, you act like normal humans, HUMANS you said you despised, that's not how demons act! I can't bear it anymore and believe I only have to do something about it when you turn evil again! I don't know what I was thinking, having lunch with you, going shopping with you, and believing this situation was acceptable! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!'

'Don't shout that loud, Emi,' another voice spoke. Both Ashiya and Emi turned towards the speaker. It was Maou who had just come home, he was standing behind them, next to his bike with a serious expression. Chiho was with him too, looking a bit afraid. 'Listen to me. You are absolutely right. I didn't understand humans until I became one. I couldn't imagine you live similar lives to us. Or… I didn't want to imagine it. But slowly I came to understand you all. I apologized to you once, remember? But I am going to stick to my purpose. I had my own goals that turned into a general goal for all demons. That's why I united them. And our goals were similar: we all wanted peace for our kind.'

Everything he said just confused Emi more.

'Did you just say peace?!' she shouted at him.

'Emi, please…' Chiho whispered vaguely.

'Stay out of it, Chiho!'

'Don't talk like that to her!' Maou said.

'Emilia, stop shouting and calm down,' Ashiya said. That could have been a deadly sentence, he saw it in Emi's eyes, but at that moment Suzuno appeared on the street.

'Could I ask what is going on here?' she asked. 'We could hear you all shouting in the apartment with Hanzo.'

'YOU!' Emi turned to her. 'You are the other one! How can you… you were the one against befriending them back then, am I right?! Then how could you give up all those things and act like you're a… like you're a couple with Urushihara?! Are you in love with him or what?! He is a fallen angel, how can you do that?!'

'The peace of Ente Islan people is still the most important thing for me,' Suzuno said. 'The only reason I didn't go back there is to keep an eye on King Satan and his companions. But back then, when Sariel attacked us, good Sadao convinced me that the most important thing for him is peace for his people. No matter if they are humans or demons – just comrades. Unless he turns against Ente Isla again, I won't consider him as an enemy. And about Hanzo…' She lifted one hand to her chest, and looked down. 'He became a good friend of mine. I am not really sure about my feelings. I think, yes, I could fall in love him. But the only thing I am sure about is that he's my friend, just like you are.'

Urushihara stayed inside the apartment at his usual place, but heard every single word. He didn't react to Suzuno's words but his whole body became tense.

'Emilia.' Ashiya broke the silence outside, and put a hand on Emi's shoulder. Emi just stood there with a terrified face, but now she pushed his hand away.

'Don't touch me! This is yours!' she picked the bags up and almost threw them at Ashiya (luckily he was fast enough to catch them without falling), and ran away.

'Emi! Wait, please!' Chiho shouted after her. Maou sighed.

'I guess we should leave her alone a bit,' he said. 'What happened, Ashiya? She just flashed out like that?'

'Not really,' Ashiya answered in a serious tone. 'She asked me not to tell you, but I think this is a business of all of us now.'


	9. Part Nine - The Hero and the Demon General's Secret Is Finally Revealed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ashiya explains why Emi acted like that all of a sudden, and also tells the company what happened between them that night in part three.

'What the hell was going on?' Urushihara turned around when the four of them entered the apartment.

'I will tell you in a minute,' Ashiya said. They took the things they brought away, and sat down at the table. Urushihara turned to them half, elbowing on his table.

'But doesn't it mean… that Emi turned against you, right?' Chiho asked doubtfully.

'It all started when one night I couldn't sleep and decided to go for a walk nearby. It happened a few weeks ago. I found Emilia in a park, which I found very unusual that late and the place was closer to our apartment than to hers. I walked up to her, and after a while she told me her mother had found her here.'

'Her mother?' Maou was surprised.

'Isn't her mother an angel?' Chiho asked.

'Yes, she is, and her name is Lailah,' Ashiya continued. 'Emilia told me that she had asked her to defeat us and go back to Ente Isla while we had lacked the power to do so. I saw them talking sometimes. Not that often, around four or five times. That night, Emilia asked me not to tell anyone and left me there, so I couldn't even ask why she had told me that. I didn't ask later because I was sure she wouldn't answer me, but according to the fact that she told me her mother's plan, I thought there was hardly any chance that she would choose to turnagainst us. Of course, I did not understand why. It has always been her aim to kill us, but she never did it. She even said we were friends on Earth. And now it turned out there was another thing: Lailah saved Emilia's father back then and he is here in Japan.'

'What…?!' Maou exclaimed.

'So it means she could not decide because of her feelings,' Chiho said. 'Her mother and her goal, or enemies-turned-friends. And even her softest spot, her father's death turned out to be false, but she's still caught in the middle, because you're still the 'evil' on Ente Isla. Poor Emi…'

'But are we that important to her? I don't understand.'

'That is the other thing,' Ashiya said. 'I was thinking if… she really fell in love with you.'

'I don't think so. She's not that type at all.'

'I had asked her before and she told me she didn't,' Chiho said a bit more heatedly than she wanted to. 'And she was pretty much convincing!'

'And not her and Maou are the ones who are 'dating',' Urushihara said, resulting in Ashiya's eyes flashing at him with a deadly glare.

'Stop it!'

'Even if it's not the case, just as you said, Good Sadao, intentions are similar,' Suzuno said. 'We all fight for the sake of our kind. I wouldn't be surprised if she chose humans.'

'I would do the same if I were her.' Maou nodded. 'Everything I did, I did for my race. For their well-being. But now that I understand humans better… well, that's hard.'

'I think she understands you better as well,' Chiho said. 'After all these… she has to know that comrades are important for you.'

'We have to be careful anyway,' Ashiya said. 'We don't have enough magic to fight against the celestial force of an angel if Emi chooses Lailah over us.'

'That could not happen!' Chiho frightened.

'And you, Suzuno?' Maou turned to the blue-haired girl.

'As I said, I am not going to turn against you as long as neither do you.'

'Nice to hear.' Maou smiled.


	10. Part Ten – The Hero Opens Up to the Demon General about Her Choice

Emi did not show up either at the demons' or Suzuno's place for days, and they decided to wait until she came of herself. They had to be on guard of course, it wasn't sure she wouldn't turn against them. But Chiho was the one who couldn't wait any longer and went to check on her on Thursday. She knew where she worked, and was relieved when she saw her coming out of the building.

'Emi, please, wait.' She ran up to her. Emi was walking beside Rika; they both turned around.

'Chiho,' Emi whispered, but it wasn't meant to be a greeting.

'Please, I want to talk to you,' Chiho begged.

'No,' she said immediately. 'I don't have anything to say to you. Sorry. Go home, please. Come, Rika, let's go.'

They turned around again and continued walking.

'Don't go!' Chiho shouted after Emi. She didn't respond.

'What happened between you?' Rika asked.

'Many things… sorry, I can't tell you. I need some time to think. Don't ask more.'

Rika was surprised – she had never seen Emi that cold.

Saturday morning the Hero was sitting in her apartment, at the table, and was just staring in front of her. Then she heard knocks on the door and got up slowly. She didn't bother to look through the peephole to see who her visitor was – the bigger was her surprise when she saw Ashiya standing there.

'A-ashiya… what are you doing here?'

'I came here because I assumed you forgot our meeting,' he said. 'It's Saturday and half past nine. I had been waiting for you for twenty minutes, then I decided to come here. The fact that you might turn against us does not mean you are not obliged to meet me if we had agreed so.'

Emi stood there for a second staring at Ashiya, then looked down, and a small smile appeared on her lips.

'Yes, you're right,' she said. 'Excuse me for a minute, I'll be right here.'

She closed the door and Ashiya waited. Five minutes later, Emi came out in street wear and with a bag.

'Let's go.'

They acted as if nothing had happened; even Emi's melancholy disappeared. She was not cheerful, but critical with Ashiya as usual.

'So?' he looked at her when they finished their shopping. 'Are you coming with me now?'

Emi didn't respond immediately.

'No, Alsiel,' she said at last. 'I have to talk to the others before that… I mean, I don't think it's appropriate to go there after all what had happened. I will talk to you all, I just don't know when… but soon.'

'Hm.' Ashiya turned to her with his whole body now. 'I assume that means… you did not take your mother's offer.'

'No, I didn't.'

A few seconds passed with the two staring at each other.

'Lailah is not here anymore,' Emi continued. 'She went back to Ente Isla. I told her that after all I had seen I would not hurt you if it was not needed. Otherwise, I would hurt the feelings of a very good friend of mine. I am talking about Chiho of course. And if she saw the goodness in creatures like you, even if she knew who you were, well, that's a thing. I'm sure the day will come when we all have to go back to Ente Isla and become sworn enemies again. But until then, as long as we live by the rules of Earth and you follow that, I don't have any reason to turn against you. I no longer have personal reasons. You caused many casualties to my kind, but maybe Chiho's right, and you too had reasons for your acts. Complicated. Even I get insecure about my choice sometimes. But that's what I think.'

Other seconds of silence passed.

'Right.' Ashiya nodded. 'And your father?'

'He stayed here with me. I'm going to have lunch with him now.'

Ashiya nodded again.

'And…' Emi spoke again, with a small smile appearing on her face, 'and I guess… thank you, Alsiel.'

Now Ashiya smiled.

'You don't need to thank me for anything, Hero. You're welcome,' he added. 'I have never thought I would ever say that.'

'Neither have I. And another thing. You know, I think… I've kind of grown to like you.'

'The same goes for me.'

Somehow the words 'I've kind of grown to like you' and the smile Emi gave him after saying that stayed in Ashiya's mind on the road home. Somehow familiar, somehow strange… maybe because that was the moment when they first felt a friendship-like bond between them, and this whole company became closer with that.


	11. Part Eleven – The Inquisitor and the Fallen Angel Discuss Love. The Hero Returns

On Sunday morning Suzuno was cleaning her apartment when she heard faint knocks on the door. She put the rag down and walked there to open it, only to find Urushihara in front of her. He seemed a bit nervous and avoided looking at Suzuno.

'Oh, Lucifer. Come in.'

'Thanks. I just want to ask something…'

'Sit down at my table, I have already finished cleaning it.'

Urushihara did so and Suzuno sat down opposite him. While she was sitting traditionally, he sat cross-legged and elbowed on one knee, fidgeting with his hair and still not looking at Suzuno. She noticed that his face was redder a bit than usual.

'So, I… I want to ask… last time, when Yusa started shouting out there and all… what you said…'

'Are you talking about that time when she asked if I could love you?' she interrupted. Urushihara winced at her indifferent directness regarding this matter.

'Yeah… kind of… so is that true?' He gulped.

'All my words, of course. Why would I tell a lie?'

'N-no… I didn't mean a lie, I meant… so you could love me?'

'I think yes, I could.'

That was when Suzuno noticed the sensitiveness of the topic. She herself became a bit embarrassed and blushed too.

'B-but it is not the same meaning people use here on Earth. I do not want anything from you… I am not sure if I understand this feeling completely… I just thought these feelings I have towards you, I like you, if these were stronger… that would be what people call love, that is all.'

'Okay,' he nodded, and straightened his back, but still was avoiding eye contact. 'I understand.'

They sat there in silence.

That evening around dinnertime, Chiho was home and sitting on her bed. When her phone rang and she glanced at the display to see who the caller was, she felt huge joy and relief, and hurried to pick it up.

'Emi! I am so glad you called me!' she said. 'Mr Ashiya told me you had been shopping together yesterday, but said nothing more than that there was no danger to us and that you would speak to us later…'

'Yes… sorry about that,' Emi said quietly. 'I wanted to call you first. I'll stay here with you all. I promise.'

'I am so happy to hear that! Do you want to meet tomorrow after work? Please! If you're free…'

'That would be awesome.'

Chiho's happy voice made Emi happy too.

'Thank you, Chiho.'

After they ended the call, she headed to the demons' apartment. They were already having dinner together with Suzuno, as she heard through the door. She took a deep breath, and then knocked.

'It's me, Emi.'

A second of silence passed, and then she heard Maou's voice telling her to come in. She opened the door, and for another long second the five of them were staring at her just as she was staring at them, gathering the courage to speak again.

Emi bowed down.

'I am so sorry about what I've done and what I've said. I…'

'You're forgiven,' Maou interrupted. Emi raised her head with wide eyes. 'Don't bother to tell the story again. Ashiya has already explained the situation to us, and I totally understand. Now, come and eat.'

'Oh.' She took a deep breath again. 'I guess… thank you.'

'And Emilia,' Maou spoke again. 'I'm glad to hear your father's safe.'

The breath stuck in her throat.

'Okay.' She eased then, suppressing her feelings. 'I'll take that as no offence.'

Maou smirked, and all of them knew the old Emi came back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With this, Emi's storyline is complete. It was something that I didn't plan to involve in this fanfic originally, but then I found essential in a story about this company's bonds getting stronger, because the tension was still there between them at the end of the anime. From now on, I think all of them can consider each other friends and true comrades, and have a better chance to find another solution rather than becoming enemies again if they go back to Ente Isla.


	12. Part Twelve – The Inquisitor and the Fallen Angel Get Closer to Each Other than Expected

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to my favourite chapter beside the fourth one! :D I hope you'll like it.

'So that is how I jump?'

'Yes, just keep pushing that button as long as you want to jump and… and watch out where you're jumping.' Urushihara sighed.

He was teaching Suzuno how to play with his game console, with little success so far. He had tried a few times to teach her how to use the computer because she asked, but she was worse than anti-talented for technology, and the case seemed to be the same with the console too.

'I wonder how humans of Earth could create these devices without magic,' Suzuno said, concentrating deeply. 'I have never seen anything similar in Ente Isla. This is very interesting.'

'Yeah,' Urushihara nodded, and lay down on the floor. 'Demons use magic but it would be much less boring if they used it to create technology. Ente Isla and even the Demon Realm seem exhaustingly boring now.'

'Lucifer!' Suzuno exclaimed terrifiedly. 'Don't leave me here with this… device! These miniature green people just keep coming…!'

'They are zombies,' he sighed and sat up. 'Oh,' he looked at the console screen. 'I have never seen anyone dying so quickly.'

'This game is getting more and more annoying,' she said. 'How could they create a miniature warrior without any weapons to fight undead creatures?!'

'You have weapons, you just died before I could explain,' Urushihara said, and then positioned himself half-behind her. 'So, start again.'

'With this button?'

'Yeah.'

It was a mild torture but she finally managed to complete the first level after an hour. Urushihara sighed and bowed his head, almost hitting Suzuno's shoulder.

'You're not a quick learner,' he said.

'I could say the same goes for you. Washing clothes does not mean putting them in water and leaving them there. Still not.'

'Oh, come on!' he looked at her. 'I am much more useful now than I used to be! When Ashiya went to nurse Emi, I washed the dishes and they sparkled! I even mopped the floor…'

'You started it and I finished because you slipped on the watery floor and hit your back in your boxes,' Suzuno interrupted.

'Come on…' he bowed his head again. 'Everyone says I'm useless and I hear it! I'm always here!'

'I don't think they say that these days since you go shopping with me sometimes.'

'Yeah, maybe…'

'Now, do you think I should try level two?'

'If you'd like to,' he shrugged. 'That's not that difficult.'

Suzuno started and concentrated as much as she could, exclaiming sometimes either in a terrified or a relieved tone.

'You really don't seem that cold-blooded assassin now,' Urushihara murmured. Then his eyes wandered lower and he noticed their position. He was still half-behind Suzuno, but if he sat a little further and put his leg on the other side of her, he would be completely behind her.

He felt this thought very embarrassing, but couldn't detract his attention of the things they had talked about after Emi's outburst. After thinking it over and over for minutes, he moved. He was close to her, but didn't touch her, and she didn't seem to notice the change of his position. He could see the console screen now over her shoulder.

'Oh!' she exclaimed when she lost the game. 'I was so close to the end of this level for first try! And now I have to start over, right?'

'Yes, you lost all your lives,' he said and pushed a button, reaching out for the console beside her. 'Now you have to complete level one again, but I guess it wouldn't take that long second time.'

It didn't indeed, but Urushihara didn't really pay attention to the game, he was just staring at Suzuno's back in front of him. When she was already waiting for level two to load, just as a sudden thought, he moved and slowly put his arms around her waist.

Suzuno almost jumped in surprise, also scaring Urushihara.

'L-lucifer!'

Her whole face was red and so was his. He recoiled.

'I-I'm sorry,' he stuttered. 'I won't do that again…'

'I… I did not say I don't want it,' she managed to falter out somehow. Urushihara's eyes widened, but then he moved again, hugged her from behind a bit awkwardly and lay his head on her shoulder. They didn't look at each other, but neither of them noticed that the character in the game console had already died three times.


	13. Part Thirteen - This Unusual Company's Friendship Strengthens through Other Unexpected Events

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the final chapter :) Thank you for all the reviews and kudos, they mean a lot to me!
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Emi and Ashiya were on their usual shopping trip on Saturday, and while it was filled with more small arguments than before, it could be felt that the two now really considered each other friends. Both of them seemed happier than usual.

'You know what, Alsiel?' Emi spoke after a couple of minutes in silence. They were already heading home. 'You were the last one I could imagine making friends with.'

Ashiya sighed annoyedly. Actually, he would have really liked it to stay unsaid.

'The last one?' he asked. 'What about my lord?'

'I hate to say that, but even he looked more normal than you. Sorry, but that's the cruel truth.'

Ashiya sighed again, but then smiled, half-consciously. They stopped in front of a zebra crossing.

'But now we could be called friends, huh?' Emi continued, and they looked at each other. She looked a little bit more serious now. 'Or maybe even… more than friends.'

And Ashiya woke up, breathing heavily, thus waking up Maou as well. Urushihara just turned in his boxes.

'What happened, Ashiya?' Maou asked, and he sat up too. 'Are you all right?'

'Yes… yes, sire,' he said. 'I just had a strange dream, that's all.'

'Okay, then. Oh, it's just five in the morning.' With that, Maou lay down again and put the blanket on his head. Ashiya lay down too, but he was wide awake. Actually, his dream wasn't that strange. At least it wasn't really a dream either. It had happened last Saturday, and Emi said 'comrades' afterwards.

 _Why did I dream about something that happened two days ago? And why did it have… and ending like this? She said comrades back then. But in my dream, she didn't, and I am completely sure I had the word… lovers in my mind. No, I am just overthinking._ He smiled slightly. _Fortunately, she would never mean that. I just had a dream._

He couldn't fall asleep anyway, so he decided to get up and start preparing breakfast – as quiet as possible of course. This dream came to his mind a few times during the week, but he didn't tell anyone about it and there wasn't any change in his behavior either.

Next Saturday the shops were very crowded, and they could only walk one after the other in the supermarket. Emi walked in front of Ashiya and he soon became distracted by her long hair. He had never noticed it looked that soft and shiny. And her scent was... pleasant. He became so distracted that he unconsciously leaned forward to hug her from behind.

And that was when Ashiya woke up panting.

_I can't believe it! I dreamed something like that… again! What happened with me? No… no, I am completely not myself in these dreams. There is no way I could do these things._

It was pitch black in their apartment now, but a few minutes later he could see the clock on the wall and tell that it was half past one in the morning. He sighed and turned to his side – that was when he realized that Urushihara wasn't at his place.

He immediately got up and went closer to the boxes. No, he wasn't there. Then Ashiya knocked on the bathroom door, and after no answer, he opened it. No one was there either.

'My lord! I'm terribly sorry to disturb you at this hour, but you need to wake up!' he rushed to his master.

'What's that… Ashiya?' Maou asked sleepily, and rubbed his eyes.

'Urushihara is neither in his boxes, nor in the bathroom!'

Maou got up, completely awake now.

'What? Where could he go?'

'I don't know, but we must seek him!'

They both stood up and went to the corridor – they immediately noticed the light under Suzuno's door.

'Do you think he might be there, my lord?' Ashiya asked.

'Let's see.'

Maou knocked on the door, and they heard Suzuno's somewhat startled voice:

'Who could that be at this hour?'

When she opened the door, they saw that Urushihara was sitting at her table.

'Oh, Good Sadao and Good Shiro. What can I do for you?' she asked now in her usual tone. She was wearing her everyday kimono, just as if it wasn't in the middle of the night.

'We just looked for Urushihara,' Maou said. 'He wasn't in the apartment, and we couldn't think where he had gone.'

'Because I can't come to Crestia any time I want?' he asked in an annoyed tone. 'She had problems with her phone, and I was still awake, so I helped her.'

'At least, leave a note!' Ashiya shouted. 'You know you cannot go outside without chaperonage!'

'I am not a child, am I?!'

'Officially, you are!'

'Stop it guys, it's too late for that,' Maou interrupted. 'Let's go back, Ashiya.'

'I'll go too, just let us finish this,' Urushihara said and leapt up. The two demons left them there, and went back to their place.

Urushihara closed the door behind them and after a moment of hesitation, turned to Suzuno. She bowed her head down as soon as he caught her glance.

'So…' he started. 'So… do you…'

'Uhm…' she moaned nervously and was blushing, just as Urushihara. 'Maybe it really is too late now…'

'O-okay…' He glanced aside, and sighed annoyedly. 'They ruined it.'

'Yes, maybe…'

They struggled to look at each other and just stood there in an embarrassing silence.

'But it was fine!' Suzuno exclaimed suddenly, finally raising her head, with eyes closed and her fists clenched in front of her. Urushihara leaned back frightened from the sudden outburst, but then blushed even redder and smiled.

'Yeah, it was…'

Meanwhile, Ashiya and Maou were talking in their apartment.

'You know what, Ashiya?' Maou turned to his faithful general. 'Somehow I feel that there's something going on between Urushihara and Suzuno.'

When he said that, an even weirder thought came to Ashiya's mind than his dreams, a thought of him and Emi together.

'It could be,' he said, and yawned. 'It's late, sire, let's go back to sleep.'

'Yeah, but really?' Maou continued to think. 'It's so absurd. Urushihara might like Suzuno, but who would like Urushihara?'

'I still hear everything,' Urushihara spoke, who has just opened the door to come in. 'Because I live here too!'

'Please, let's go back to sleep,' Ashiya pleaded. 'Tomorrow… or now today is a workday. My lord needs to get up early.'

'It won't be my fault if he's late,' Urushihara said and got back inside his boxes. Ashiya and Maou lay down on their mattresses as well. Ashiya heard that they both fell asleep soon, but he couldn't. He couldn't free himself from the thought of him and Emi together… as a couple. _What happened to me? What if I… took a liking to her… that way? Do I really like her? I never felt anything towards her before. Then what? I'll find out anyway next time we meet. And somehow that excites me. It's not a good feeling._

The same day in the afternoon, a few minutes after Emi left from work, she got a call. She was very surprised because it was from Maou.

'I don't even know why your number is in my phone,' she accepted the call.

'Yeah, whatever, Chiho's phone went dead. Would you like to eat with us?' Maou asked. 'Dinner is alm…'

He couldn't finish because suddenly Chiho's scream could be heard in the background, just before Ashiya's and Maou's loud shout – then the call ended.

'Hey!' Emi shouted. 'Hey, what is going o—'

Her eyes widened. _No way…! What if… someone came from Ente Isla…_ She ran as fast as she could. _No, Lailah said she wouldn't hurt them! Who could that be? Another angel? I must hurry!_

She soon turned into the street where the demons' house was, but nothing suspicious seemed to be happening there. The area was unusually quiet. Emi ran up the stairs and almost smashed the door of the demons' apartment as she arrived there: then almost collapsed in surprise. Maou was sitting at the dining table completely calmly, Suzuno was sitting next to Urushihara in front of his computer, and Chiho was standing next to Ashiya in front of the cooker. Apart from the white haired ex-demon general having some black stains on his face and apron, they truly did not seem to be in trouble.

'What the-?! Why the hell did you shout?!' Emi yelled at them, and stomped up to them.

Ashiya looked her over; she was somehow different. Yes, he saw that shine of her hair, and noticed a scent he had never paid attention to before.

'I called you again, but you didn't pick it up,' Maou sighed, and Chiho laughed nervously.

Emi looked at her phone, and it indeed showed two unaccepted calls. She didn't hear it in the big rush.

'Sorry, Emi, I didn't want to scare you,' Chiho apologized.

'No, it was my fault,' Ashiya spoke. 'I am terribly ashamed. I was careless and the cooker burst into flames.'

'WHAT THE… but you're a DEMON! And the housekeeper by the way!'

'Saying for Ashiya, he never really had to deal with fire this way to tell the truth,' Maou said, and Emi turned to him now.

'AND?! You are the demon king, aren't you?! I can't believe how useless you are!'

'Calm down, it's not the end of the world,' Maou said boredly.

Ashiya's lips formed a tiny smile and he closed his eyes. _Nonsense. What an absurd thought that I, Great Demon General Alsiel could like Emilia, the Hero._ No matter what he thought and how unnoticeable that smile was, he was definitely smiling.

'I don't think you have right to call me useless,' he said. 'Remember when I took care of your house while you were ill. And I do everything in my power to take care of my lord and the castle too. Anyway, Emilia, there's a leaf in your hair.'

As he reached to sweep it down, she pushed his hand away.

'Don't touch me!' It really surprised Ashiya because she seriously blushed. 'I-I can sweep it down too, just say it! Anyway, what are you talking about, you were the only one who has always been useless during the battles!'

'That only happened once and I was ill!'

'Just like all the time!'

'Would you just shut up a bit?!' Urushihara interrupted them, and turned back to his laptop. 'Thanks.'

'Sorry, I could not hear what Good Hanzo was explaining me,' Suzuno said.

'I didn't hear my voice either.'

'Says a former demon general whose favourite entertainment was to fly above crowded battlefields covered in blood…'

'That is not true!' he yelled at Emi.

'Please, don't argue,' Chiho tried to calm them down.

'Would you stop it?' Maou spoke too. 'I have go back to work for the night too and I didn't sleep very well.'

'I am sorry, my lord,' Ashiya apologized. 'Emilia, stop shouting.'

Emi was shaking as she was trying to suppress her temper.

'Yeah, you say so? I have to admit that it is very important for Maou to go to work in time, because you really need that money in your status…'

Now it was Ashiya's turn to suppress his temper, and sighed.

'I could never imagine you two would accord in something, Good Emi and Good Shiro,' Suzuno said innocently.

'They even went on a date once, don't forget that,' Urushihara said, but only to get hit on the back of his neck. 'OUCH!'

'Say that one more time!' Ashiya and Emi shouted in chorus. 'I can't believe you are just a bunch of shameful humans now. Is it a good feeling? Huh?' – she jested. 'Whatever, bye.'

She left the apartment followed by the gaze of everyone.

'So aren't you going to eat with us?' Maou shouted after her.

A moment of silence.

'I am!'

And then a loud yell, followed by some bangs and cracks.

'I can't believe it… coming!' Maou said boredly.

'STAY THERE, YOU EVIL SPIRIT!'

Maou just sighed.

'Then no…'

'Is she okay?' Chiho asked.

Ashiya took off his apron and went out to the corridor. Out there, he waited until a few seconds later Emi appeared; she was a bit hobbling and looked up at Ashiya with a half ashamed, half angry face, almost making him laugh. He couldn't hold back a tiny smile though. He reached out his hand, and saw on her face that she eventually decided to put her pride in her pocket and accept it.

She had a bleeding wound on her knee.

'Come, we have first aid kit in the bathroom.'

He helped her inside by holding her arm.

'Oh, pizza is here,' Maou said when they heard the doorbell.

'I'll come and help,' Chiho stood up cheerfully, and left with him, out to the gate. They took the pizza boxes and turned to head back to the apartment. Maou smiled at her, which she returned.

In the bathroom, Emi sat down on the edge of the bathtub and Ashiya kneeled in front of her with the first aid kit.

'Not as embarrassing as bathing me, is it?' he said. Emi glanced aside.

'Well, don't worry. Looking back, that was just as embarrassing as it is now. And don't tell me I'm indebted to you now.'

'You don't have to worry either, you're not.'

'By the way… I guess helping you is fine,' she said quietly.

'Yes. It's the same the other way around.'

He looked up at her, and smiled. It was a genuine and quite kind smile Emi had never seen on his face, but it made her smile as well.

In the main room, only Urushihara and Suzuno were there now, and as no voices could be heard either from outside or from the bathroom, Urushihara glanced around. No one was expected to return right in that moment, so he turned to Suzuno and pressed a kiss on her lips.

**THE END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading. I hope you liked it!
> 
> It's one of the stories I enjoyed writing and editing the most. And editing this after a long time made me want to write other fanfics about them, because there's so much to explore about their relationships.
> 
> Share your opinion in the comments! :) Even if you get here months or years later, please review if you feel like it, I will be really happy :)


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